COMMISSION TO HEAR PRESENTATION ON THE STATUS
OF COMPETITION IN THE MULTICHANNEL VIDEO INDUSTRY
DECEMBER 18, 1997

The Federal Communications Commission
announces an en banc presentation on the status of
competition in the multichannel video industry. The
presentation will follow the Commission's open agenda
meeting on December 18, 1997, at approximately 10:45
a.m. in the FCC meeting room, Room 856.

In announcing this presentation, Commission
Chairman William E. Kennard said "This will be the
first in a series of en banc presentations to the five FCC
Commissioners on various communications policy issues
the Commission plans to hold as part of upcoming open
agenda meetings." The purpose of this en banc series,
said Chairman Kennard, "is to educate and inform the
Commissioners, FCC staff, and the public about
differing perspectives on current issues in
telecommunications policy." Future en banc
presentations will concern the status of competition in
local telephony and other markets.

The Commission will hear their views on the
status of competition and consumer choice in the
marketplace for multichannel video programming,
including, among possible issues, cable rate regulation,
program access regulation, and what, if anything, the
presenters think the Commission and the Congress
should do to encourage more competition in the
multichannel video industry.

Copies of prepared remarks will be available at
the en banc presentation and will also be placed on the
Commission's Web site at www.fcc.gov.cable .

For more information, please contact Steve
Klitzman at (202) 418-1913. Members of the news
media should contact Morgan Broman at (202) 418-2358
or David Fiske at (202) 418-0500.